Abord de la ville d'Alexandrette - Simon Charles Miger

An eighteenth-century engraving depicting guards at the port of Alexandretta, based on the travel drawings of Louis-François Cassas.

This engraving, titled Abord de la ville d'Alexandrette - Costume des gardes, originates from the first volume of the publication Picturesque Travels in Syria, Phoenicia, Palestine and Lower Egypt. The work captures a scene of guards stationed near the port of Alexandretta, now known as İskenderun. Simon Charles Miger, a skilled French engraver, executed this plate based on the original drawings by Louis-François Cassas, who travelled through the Levant during the late eighteenth century to document the architecture and customs of the region.

The composition features a central figure of a guard in traditional attire, holding a long pipe, while other figures gather on a rug nearby. The background provides a view of the harbour, with sailing vessels anchored against a backdrop of mountainous terrain. The precision of the line work reflects the technical standards of late eighteenth-century French printmaking, where the goal was to provide an accurate visual record for European audiences interested in the geography and social structures of the Near East. The shading techniques create a sense of depth, separating the foreground figures from the maritime activity and the distant peaks.

This print functions as a historical document of the period, reflecting the European fascination with the Orient. The attention to the details of the clothing, the weaponry, and the surrounding environment demonstrates the analytical approach taken by Cassas and Miger. The work remains a clear example of the collaborative efforts between draughtsmen and engravers to produce high-quality illustrations for travelogues. It offers a glimpse into the visual culture of the Enlightenment, where exploration and documentation were central to the acquisition of knowledge about distant lands.